Riverside South

:"For Riverside South in London, Canary Wharf, see: Riverside South (Canary Wharf)

Riverside South is a suburban community in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. This community is located in the former city of Gloucester, Ontario just southwest of Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. Its population according to the Canada 2006 Census was 6,807.

In the early 1990's this area was mostly vacant with a few houses and some farms. However, over the last few years there is an extensive housing development that seems to be growing in the pace of other major communities such as Barrhaven, Kanata and Orleans.

Although its size is not really big, the area limiting to areas around River Road and Earl Armstrong Road and just west of Limebank Road, it is planned that Riverside South will become a major community with expansions to the south closer to Manotick and to the east closer to Leitrim, another growing community.

The future North-South Light-rail line was expected to serve the community by 2009 until its cancellation on December 14, 2006. Though, most rural routes will be upgraded and widened to cope with increasing traffic. One notable problem area is Limebank Road where major slowdowns occur in the morning rush heading towards the more urban areas of the city and represents also a safety hazard for both motorists and cyclists -- Construction to rework this road will begin August 2007. Also a bridge linking the community to Barrhaven may be built even without the light-rail extension. Likely, it will become a major suburban community with population that will likely exceed (the total of the two areas) 100,000 residents or even much more.

It is home to the first and only Ottawa area school with a balanced calendar. Students at l'école élémentaire catholique Bernard-Grandmaître will experience a summer vacation which is shortened by 3 weeks. Those 3 weeks will then be re-distributed throughout the school year giving the students and teachers a one-week Thanksgiving vacation, an additional week during the Christmas break and an additional week during March break. The balanced calendar is believed to be very beneficial to students and teachers as they have more opportunities to unwind. It is a three-year pilot project that will determine if other Ottawa schools will also apply that sort of calendar.

Schools

* St. Jerome catholic school
* Steve McLean public school
* l'école élémentaire catholique Bernard-Grandmaître
* Frank Ryan Catholic School (grades 7-8) - located in Viewmount, near Merivale Rd.
* St. Pius X Catholic High School - located on Fisher Ave., near Meadowlands Dr.
* Merivale High School - located in Nepean, is for public high school students in this area.
* South Carleton High School - located in Richmond, is for other public high school students in this area.

In the future, a new secondary school will be built at the corner of Limebank and Spratt Roads.

External links

* [http://www.riversidesouth.org Riverside South Community Association]
* [http://www.ottawa.ca/public_consult/riverside_core/index_en.html Riverside South design plan]